Volume 145, Nº 4 (2025)

A collection of 25 bacterial isolates has been picked up from the leaves of alfalfa Medicago sativa, Miscanthus giganteus culvars Kamis and Bagryany, winter rapeseed Brassica napus, tulip Tulipa sp., green parts of Lamium album, celandine Celidonium majus and Sarepta mustard Brassica juncea, as well as the red poultry mite Dermanyssus gallinae and soil nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. There are 7 representatives of the genus Bacillus, Exiguobacterium and Priestia among the isolates; 5 isolates of the genus Pseudomonas, 2 isolates of the genus Pantoea, 8 isolates of the genus Staphylococcus, and representatives of the type of Actinomycetota: Pseudoclavibacter and Micrococcus. Identification of the taxonomic affiliation of the isolates was carried out by sequencing of complete 16S ribosomal DNA genes, which are deposited in the GenBank database. The degree of resistance of isolated isolates to five common antibiotics was studied: kanamycin (Km), ampicillin (Ap), spectinomycin (Sp), erythromycin (Em) and chloramphenicol (Cm). Strains resistant to several antibiotics, to individual antibiotics, and are not resistant to any of the tested antibiotics have been identified within each taxonomic group. This makes possible comparison of the effectiveness of rapid antibiotic resistance testing methods on several groups of bacteria.

A comparative historical analysis of the role of mammals in infecting animals and people with rabies in Russia from 1534 to 2023 was conducted. Before the early 19th century, people were infected by only 4 species: dogs, wolves, foxes, and horses. All farm and domestic animals were sick. From 1825 to 1942, rabies in foxes ceased to be registered in the country (with a few exceptions). In 1951–2023, active anti-epidemic work reduced the number of people infected by 23 times. The number of infected animals decreased only 2.2 times. This was explained by the existence of natural foci of rabies. The foci were studied in 1966–2023. The natural infection rate of different species of mammals obtained in field expeditions and collected from hunters was determined (n = 24.582 individuals). The average infection rate varied from 0.07% in rodents to 10.1% in arctic foxes. In foxes it was 0.2–5.4%, raccoon dogs 4.5%, corsac foxes 2.5%, wolves 1.1%, and mustelids 0.55%. The rabies infection rate in rodents, bats 0.4%, lagomorphs 0.5%, and insectivores 0.1% was very low and was explained by accidental infection, overdiagnosis, or laboratory contamination. All cases of rabies in land mammals were caused by the Lyssavirus rabies pathogen. This pathogen was not detected in bats, but the following pathogens were identified: Lyssavirus hamburg, Lyssavirus irkut, Lyssavirus caucasicus, which were not recorded in dogs, cats, foxes, wolves, and other land animals. The first two viruses caused death in people. The rates of rabies registration in wild animals depended on their behavior. In 2023, veterinarians registered about 40% of wild foxes infected with the disease, 1–2% of wolves, raccoon dogs and corsac foxes. The last two species, participating in the circulation of the virus in nature and in its transmission to dogs, cats and farm animals, unlike rabid foxes, usually died without coming into the field of view of people. Bites of humans by rabid wolves were 28–36 times more dangerous than dog bites.

Hair is a noninvasive biomatrix that can provide information on the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, maintenance of homeostasis, and the success of animal adaptation to natural and anthropogenic stressors. The literature studying the relationship between the hair cortisol concentration detected in the farm, domestic, and wild animals with various biological parameters and behavioural factors was reviewed. It is noted that the hair cortisol concentration mainly correlates with the animal species, sex, age, sampling location, colour, pregnancy, season of the year, housing conditions, the presence of diseases, and behavioural characteristics. Some factors can be directly related to stress and animal adaptation to changing conditions, which is reflected in the blood cortisol concentration and its subsequent release into the hair shaft, or be inconsistent and species dependent.

The article considers in detail the natural diversity of coccid pigments and dyes in all 18 extant families of the world fauna: Margarodidae s.l., Ortheziidae, Phenacoleachiidae, Xenococcidae, Pseudococcidae s.l., Eriococcidae, Kermesidae, Dactylopiidae, Micrococcidae, Asterolecaniidae s.l., Conchaspididae, Phoenicococcidae, Diaspididae, Beesoniidae, Stictococcidae, Aclerdidae, Coccidae and Kerriidae. Particular attention is paid to poorly known genera and species that were presumably involved in dyeing trades in different regions of the world during different historical periods. Some species are illustrated with color photographs. The chemical structure of coccid pigments and related insect groups is briefly discussed based on available literature data.